KBA Builds New Customers, Exceeds Sales Expectations

DALLAS—09/17/2009—KBA North America, a global press manufacturer based in Dallas, Texas, successfully concluded its press demonstrations and show presence at PRINT 09 in Chicago by exceeding its sales expectations, breaking its own world makeready record, and attracting new qualified customers to its full range of presses from its 20-inch model to its largest 81-inch press. PRINT 09 is the largest global graphic communications show in North America this year that was held from September 11 to 17 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

“Each day during the six-day show we gained more and more booth attendance and worked with a small, yet highly qualified group of printers who were keenly interested in our new technology and avidly watched our ground-breaking press demonstrations,” says John Raithel, senior vice president of sheetfed presses. “We are proud to announce that we sold $25 million in press equipment, which includes 13 presses, and we have a commitment for six more press sales. Our entire team worked tirelessly to make this show one of our most successful where we exceeded our sales expectations.”

In addition to its sweeping sales, KBA broke its own world makeready record on its Rapida 106 41-inch press with a unique press demonstration held at its booth over the course of the show. Last year at Drupa 2008 in Germany, the new Rapida 106 took the title of world makeready champion due to its fast running speed and the highest automation in the market. At PRINT 09, the press crew furthered the record by reducing the time to produce multiple jobs on the press. The new world makeready record set at PRINT 09 is 17 unique four over four color jobs each being completed with 500 saleable sheets with a total of 136 plate changes all in one hour on a Rapida 106 41-inch eight-color four-over-four perfector press. Crowds of 200 to 300 show attendees watched in rapt attention as the KBA crew performed what has never been seen at any trade show in the world.